Houston Vs. New Orleans (living, best, state, better)
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The thing is that both arguments are correct depending on the angle you look at it:
Houston, culture and setting-wise, indeed is the major Texas city that fits the stereotypical perception of the state the least, due to the influence from Louisiana. But it's also true that the vibe of Texas is large and diverse, meaning that the "Louisiana" culture present in the state would be but another ingredient in that mix.
I can see this. If people are saying that Houston's diversity dilutes it's Louisiana influences, then I wish people would just say that, instead of making it seem that folks are disclaiming its Texas features.
Dude I'm not going to find the perfect representation of every street. I just said the neighborhoods that are like Rice Military.
There is nothing in Baton Rouge that reminds me of Rice Military. Did you not see the link I posted. I said as Houston continues to urbanize, it starts to look less like the rest of the Gulf Coast Cities and more of its own thing. Rice Military is one of the examples. There is nothing like an East Downtown in Baton Rouge either.
I wouldn't disagree with anyone who said Dallas is a bigger OKC. It's been said thousands of times on CD, will happen thousands more times.
And in each of those thousands of times, it was out of pure ignorance. If it is said a thousand more times, it will still be out of pure ignorance.
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Houston doesn't look like Gulf Coast Mississippi, and I'd argue Florida too.
Yes it does. You can find neighborhoods in Tampa that could remind you of Houston. Same with parts of Orlando.
doesn't remind you of parts of Houston. Especially the neighborhoods outside the loop?
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Are you guys insulted that you're being compared to ol raggedy Louisiana or something?
Nobody isn't insulted by comparing it to Louisiana. I've even acknowledged in past posts that Houston does share a connection to Louisiana that no other Texas major Texas does. What we are saying is that Houston is a Texas city through and through on the Gulf Coast. It's not a Louisiana city in Texas. It's not a displaced city of Louisiana in Texas. It's all Texas with influences FROM Louisiana as well as Mexico. Each city in Texas has an influence from something so no, Houston is just as Texan as the other major Texas cities.
Houston has more in common with other parts of Texas. Why ppl from Louisiana always try to claim houston is laughable. You obviously have not spent time in other parts of Texas. Not visit but spent time in.
Houston has about the same in common as both I'd say.
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Originally Posted by SouthernBoy205
I agree with most of this.
What most people don't know or fail to realize is that Louisianans built or helped to build Houston. Slaves escaped Louisiana to build their lives in Houston (see Barrett, Texas), and many people of all races escaped SW Louisiana as a result of a major flooding event in the 1800s. People are quick to bring up the huge Hispanic population to "water down" Louisiana's influence, but the huge boost in the Hispanic population is fairly recent (1980's) and is not nearly as influential as the Puerto Ricans in NYC, who started to migrate to NYC in droves after the Spanish-American War in the 1800s.
Honestly, Houston is no different than Beaumont-Port Arthur when it comes to Louisiana influences; Houston is just larger and more diverse, while BMT packs a stronger punch because it's smaller. Also, the Golden Triangle has a huge Hispanic population, but you still see more Louisiana influences. FWIW, Beaumont is Lake Charles's twin, minus the casinos.
Let's take a look at the eastside. Chambers County is very Cajun influenced; you don't even have to venture off I-10 to see the influences. No one can deny that Baytown alone looks like it can be in Louisiana. Galveston looks like a mini Mobile and New Orleans and has the Mardi Gras. Hell, there are second line festivals all over Houston; and every suburb has their own crawfish festivals. Houston is big on zydeco and bounce music. You will not turn on the radio, go to a club, or go to a party and not hear zydeco and bounce music.
Places like Third Ward, Fourth Ward, and Fifth Ward look like they can be in New Orleans, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, etc. Houston's industry is very much tied to Louisiana's industry. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, many oil and gas operations moved to Houston. Also, because of the oil and gas industry, there is and there will forever be back and forth between Louisiana and Houston. How do I know? I work in the industry. Besides the obvious proximity, the oil and gas industry is a major reason why you have several Southern and LSU alum living here.
This is really going to burn your biscuits. I've even run across many Houstonians, both black and white, who weren't directly from Louisiana with Louisiana accents.
In February, I was at The Boot in The Heights and had a conversation with two guys (one was from Morgan City, LA and one was from Franklinton, LA). I asked both why are there so many Louisianans in Houston; they said that Houston is the closet biggest city to home, and it feels like home. I'd worked with a lady from St. Martinville, LA. I'd asked her the same thing. She said out of all of the Texas cities Houston feels the most like Louisiana.
No. I've never denied that Houston isn't Texan. It's in Texas for God's sake. For what society thinks of Texas, Houston, TO ME, doesn't fit that description entirely. I definitely think DFW fits that bill more; hell, even Austin fits it more, TO ME. Houston does fit the "Everything is bigger in Texas" bill.
Agree with all this.
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Originally Posted by Spade
There is nothing in Baton Rouge that reminds me of Rice Military. Did you not see the link I posted. I said as Houston continues to urbanize, it starts to look less like the rest of the Gulf Coast Cities and more of its own thing. Rice Military is one of the examples. There is nothing like an East Downtown in Baton Rouge either.
I wouldn't disagree with anyone who said Dallas is a bigger OKC. It's been said thousands of times on CD, will happen thousands more times.
And in each of those thousands of times, it was out of pure ignorance. If it is said a thousand more times, it will still be out of pure ignorance.
Yes it does. You can find neighborhoods in Tampa that could remind you of Houston. Same with parts of Orlando.
doesn't remind you of parts of Houston. Especially the neighborhoods outside the loop?
Nobody isn't insulted by comparing it to Louisiana. I've even acknowledged in past posts that Houston does share a connection to Louisiana that no other Texas major Texas does. What we are saying is that Houston is a Texas city through and through on the Gulf Coast. It's not a Louisiana city in Texas. It's not a displaced city of Louisiana in Texas. It's all Texas with influences FROM Louisiana as well as Mexico. Each city in Texas has an influence from something so no, Houston is just as Texan as the other major Texas cities.
Yes I saw the link. We're talking about a city of 6.7 or more people being compared to that of 825,000. No our hip urban neighborhoods won't have hundreds of townhouses going up. We won't have numerous mid rise apartment and condo buildings either. But to suggest that Rice Military is so far removed from Mid-City Baton Rouge is crazy. Washington Ave is almost a spitting image of Government St. East Downtown wasn't a thing really when I lived there. There were just beginning to clear land for BBVA Compass Stadium.
It's their opinion. Not gonna change anyones mind.
Well yeah if you want to bring in generic suburbia then all cities look alike.
No one said that Houston is a Louisiana city lol. Where did you get that from? It's very obviously a Texan city but with huge Louisiana influence which still agrees with my initial statement that it's a huge version of Baton Rouge.
Houston has about the same in common as both I'd say.
Agree with all this.
Yes I saw the link. We're talking about a city of 6.7 or more people being compared to that of 825,000. No our hip urban neighborhoods won't have hundreds of townhouses going up. We won't have numerous mid rise apartment and condo buildings either. But to suggest that Rice Military is so far removed from Mid-City Baton Rouge is crazy. Washington Ave is almost a spitting image of Government St. East Downtown wasn't a thing really when I lived there. There were just beginning to clear land for BBVA Compass Stadium.
It's their opinion. Not gonna change anyones mind.
Well yeah if you want to bring in generic suburbia then all cities look alike.
No one said that Houston is a Louisiana city lol. Where did you get that from? It's very obviously a Texan city but with huge Louisiana influence which still agrees with my initial statement that it's a huge version of Baton Rouge.
Man, they make up stuff folks say all the time. Like they said I made Dallas seem like SLC when it came to its black population. I just said it isn't as rich and cultured as Houston's, despite being similar sizes. LOL.
Houston has about the same in common as both I'd say.
Agree with all this.
Yes I saw the link. We're talking about a city of 6.7 or more people being compared to that of 825,000. No our hip urban neighborhoods won't have hundreds of townhouses going up. We won't have numerous mid rise apartment and condo buildings either. But to suggest that Rice Military is so far removed from Mid-City Baton Rouge is crazy. Washington Ave is almost a spitting image of Government St. East Downtown wasn't a thing really when I lived there. There were just beginning to clear land for BBVA Compass Stadium.
It's their opinion. Not gonna change anyones mind.
Well yeah if you want to bring in generic suburbia then all cities look alike.
No one said that Houston is a Louisiana city lol. Where did you get that from? It's very obviously a Texan city but with huge Louisiana influence which still agrees with my initial statement that it's a huge version of Baton Rouge.
And you saying that Houston is a larger version of Baton Rouge is where we will agree to disagree. And now that’s generic suburbia? Heh. This is pretty much what the gulf coast looks like.
Culture: Houston. Its more cosmopolitan than New Orleans with a good community for many different groups.
Entertainment: New Orleans. Otherwise, this is too one-sided.
Food: Tie. I actually prefer the food offered in Houston but people are going to jump on me if it seems like I am not raving over New Orlean's local cuisine.
Quality of Life: Houston. New Orleans has lower incomes, higher poverty rates, and a lower life expectancy. The only wash seems to be education attainment, in which more New Orleanians earn high school degrees while more Houstonians earn bachelor's or higher.
People: Houston. Maybe it is because most New Orleanians I've met are those who moved to DFW following Katrina, but they are generally much ruder and entitled than those I've met from Houston, who I considered laid back and friendly, albeit cocky. I've met some people who lost nearly everything with Harvey and none of them have the same attitude.
Transportation: Houston. Louisiana roads are just horrible; I don't have an idea what y'all mean-you'll know your in Texas from Louisiana the moment your car stops bouncing.
Overall: Houston. Its only problem, in my eyes, is the humidity and large share of the economy connected to oil, but humidity isn't any better in New Orleans and it isn't like the economy there is anything to write home about. I think
In my opinion, Houston feels more like DFW, and Shreveport feels more like DFW, than Houston feels like New Orleans. I used to travel to the Shreveport area a lot and know others who did the same or have lived in both and they seem to agree about the similarities. Also, in some ways, Houston is the best fit for the stereotypical Texan city-strongest Southern accent, dependency on oil, sprawly (density below that of Dallas), and diverse thanks to an "established" Black and Hispanic population as well as new migrants from Asia, Africa, and the rest of the USA. The largest stereotype it doesn't fit is being in a desert, but none of the major American cities in Texas do.
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